Have you been counting the days until you could dive back into the world of Pearl and May from Lisa See’s best-selling Shanghai Girls? Well, the wait is over: See has just released the much-anticipated follow up, Dreams of Joy, an impeccably researched and lyrically written book that is, according to the Los Angeles Times, “one of those hard-to-put-down-until-four-in-the-morning books.”

Fans of See might want to drop by Fairfield University for a free reading and book signing with the beloved author on Tuesday, February 21 at 7 p.m. in the Barone Campus Center Oak Room. Her appearance is part of the Inspired Writer Series, a program of the MFA in Creative Writing, in collaboration with Fairfield Public Library. Reserve your seat today at (203) 254-4110.

Lisa See may whisk fans away to beautiful China, but on Friday, February 24, the Fairfield campus may feel a lot more like sweet home Chicago, as The Original Tribute to the Blues Brothers takes the stage at the Quick Center for the Arts.

Yep, they’re back! Jake and Elwood will rock The Quick for one night only of swingin’ Chicago classics like “Everybody,” “Think,” and “Gimme Some Loving.” So don your best pork pie hat, buff up those dancing shoes and prepare to ‘shake ya tail feather’ with the British-born show Chicago Theater Beat called “an inexhaustibly energetic romp!” Tickets are available now for this unforgettable show.

Do a 180 the following day and round out your weekend with Giuseppe Verdi’s Ernani, a lush production of this thrilling, early gem by a master broadcast live and in an encore from the Metropolitan Opera to the HD screen at The Quick! The broadcasts offer viewers peeks behind the scenes and chats with the company as an added bonus.